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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Engineering Kanban |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | When work sits in too many parallel streams, throughput suffers and no one sees the bottlenecks. Kanban makes the flow of work visible and limits overload so a system becomes calmer and more predictable. | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Ongoing | 1-2 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | FlowVisual managementDelivery | StrategyAnalysisOptions | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |